Gold in Her Skirts
by Nelarun
Summary: "I like being a colony. I don't want to disappear." The year is 1867 and Australia is watching as much to New South Wales' delight, Queensland slowly succumbs to economic depression. The one thing that can save her is gold but she has no more to give.


Gold in her Skirts  
a Hetalia fanfiction  
by Nelarun

I do not own Hetalia

* * *

_Australia 1867_

Australia sighed as he studied the young woman that was Queensland. She was gaunt and dirty, her northern hairy nose wombat, Harry, not even stirring as his koala poked him. She was currently suffering from an economic depression and her colony was about to collapse. She was already a little translucent much to his dismay and New South Wales' delight. "Sweetheart, why don't you sit down." Australia nudged her towards the chair in his house and she collapsed into the seat.

"I like being a colony," she whispered. "I don't want to disappear."

"You aren't going to disappear, you ninny," New South Wales snapped. "You're just going to return to your rightful place. Get your governor to stop fighting, we'll treat you nicely."

"Liar," Queensland sighed, thanking Australia as he gently deposited Harry in her lap.

"Come on Queensland," New South Wales approached her, his pet snake slipped down his arm to speak with Harry. "You don't need to go through this. Just return to me. I miss you."

"You miss my gold," she muttered.

"Well you don't have that any more so don't worry about me wanting you for your gold."

Australia was normally one for a joke, but honestly New South Wales needed to learn that there was a time and place for such nonsense.

"Is the lass dead yet?"

"Victoria!" Australia snapped at her.

"I agree," South Australia walked in behind Victoria. "A little more decorum from you Vicky. And you!" South Australia leaned over Queensland. "Queeny, don't listen to Wales. The Welshman just wants-"

"Oh shut up." New South Wales muttered.

"What? I'm being nice to the woman!"

"The lass dinna need any more of yeh bickerin'." Victoria muttered.

"Like you're one to talk," Tasmania sighed as she walked in. "Eve'ning Guv'ner." she smirked at Australia.

"Tasmin," he nodded.

"Queeny, are you alright?"

"Southy stop crowdin' her," Victoria snapped and South Australia sniffed.

"I'm not crowding her, I'm holding her hand. Honestly, I have her to thank for my own colony extending the borders."

"I gave you the north, stop making out that you took it from me." New South Wales growled.

Queensland released a long breath and the other four colonies stopped arguing to face their comrade. Australia came to sit at her side, taking her hand in his right and brushing her hair back with his left. "Just relax," he murmured softly. "It shall be over soon." The other colonies and their animals – whipsnake for New South Wales, bustard for Victoria, Tasmanian tiger for Tasmania and the black wallaroo for South Australia – gathered close, standing in silence.

"Bye, lass." Victoria smiled. And suddenly Queensland blinked, looking a little better, a little more real. New South Wales blinked and frowned.

"Why are you getting better? Why aren't you dying!" he demanded.

"Gympie," Queensland murmured. Australia looked up as someone knocked on his door. He looked at Queensland who was getting stronger and stronger, Harry was stirring and growling slightly, and silently got up and hurried to answer the door.

"Yes?"

"Governor Nash has found alluvial gold," the messenger spoke. "Queensland is saved."

**~(^_^)~**

New South Wales was sulking as he watched Queensland get better and better. "I can't believe that rotten town found gold," he muttered.

"Cheer up, Wales," South Australia handed him some gin as he sat down. "It's not too hard to believe. Queensland is so large there had to be some gold hidden somewhere in her skirts."

New South Wales scowled but silently gave the victory to Queensland. Who needed those bloody ungrateful gits anyway? It wasn't like they were ever going to amount to anything. Good riddance.

* * *

A/N: A couple of notes on the history.

_WA: I didn't involve Western Australia because at the time the people of western Australia were attempting to get their own Parliament set up, and were feeling a mite sour towards Britain after Britain kept saying 'no'_

_The Gympie gold rush: Yep. Qld had broken away from NSW, however they soon found themselves going broke, if gold hadn't been found in Gympie (about 2.5 hours north of Brisbane) Qld was going to forcibly rejoin NSW._

_SA/NT: These two regions had a rather interesting history first as part of NSW, then SA broke away, then NT was given to SA, then it was separate, then the two were split into three (South Australia, Central Australia, Northern Territory) then back into two (South Australia, Northern Territory)._

_Victoria: I purposefully gave Victoria a slight Scottish background mostly as a nod towards the fact that at the time Victoria had the largest influx of Scottish immigrants of all the colonies._

I'm not overly pleased with how I finished it, but ah well. It's been a while since I've done Australian colonial history so I hope I have all the facts straight. Please let me know if I got them wrong! ^_^.


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